May 25, 2012
Topics A-Z Digestive Disorders Difficulty Swallowing due to Mechanical or Functional Causes
Difficulty Swallowing due to Mechanical or Functional Causes |
|
Dear Ask The Doctor: I'm about to go out of my mind I developed about 5 months ago the sudden inability to swallow solid foods but I'm fine with liquids. It feels like food is getting stuck right at the top muscle. I have been tested to no avail. I'm only 19 and wondering how this could be. I got a barium swallow done looked normal. CT scan normal. Upper endoscopy normal. I can't shake this constant anxiety its annoying I can't swallow like I used to, I have excess mucus in my throat, and excess air bubbles in the esophagus. I'm currently treated on Kapidex and I am seeing a neurologist next month. Please if you have any answers I would appreciate it! Dear Amanda: Dysphagia or difficulty swallowing has many causes but a large number of conditions can be excluded if endoscopy, barium swallow and CT scan are all normal. This difficulty swallowing can be due to mechanical or functional causes. If the above tests are all normal, this can exclude a large number of mechanical causes such as abnormal anatomy of the upper gastrointestinal tract e.g. an oesophageal web or pharangeal pouch, oesophagitis, benign or malignant stricture as causes of your symptoms. It may be due to a functional cause or problem with the innervation of your oesophagus, with loss of normal peristalsis (muscular contraction of the oesophagus) which is causing the sensation of “food sticking.” I agree that attending a neurologist, or alternatively a gastroenterologist, may help you reach a definitive diagnosis. |
|
| Last Updated ( Thursday, 25 March 2010 ) |
|
|
|
|
